According to a recent study, it is possible to look at brain waves and predict future pain with accuracy through them. This latest research could be a big game changer when it comes to how doctors help those battling chronic pain.
The researchers focused on alpha brain waves in patients preparing for surgery and then compared them to alpha brain waves after surgery. They found that patients who had alpha brain waves oscillating at 9 Hz were most susceptible to experiencing chronic pain after they had healed from surgery. They found that the test was 100 percent in predicting pain rated 7 out of 10 or higher in the patients that they looked at.
There’s a lot more work needed to determine the link between chronic pain and alpha brain waves of 9 Hz, but this does set the table for future researchers. Hopefully, it can be used to improve the quality of life that people experience as they age.
No one wants to be in pain. And for those that deal with chronic pain, a new series of complications arises. The use (and misuse) of opioids can also complicate things. Chronic pain can lead not just to other health issues, but to premature death as a result of some of those issues. Everyone is different and impacted in different ways, but research does indicate a correlation between some of these problems. Finding better ways to predict and prevent pain from taking over someone’s life is important.
This research was conducted by a team from the University of Birmingham. The results were recently published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.
Having a team on your side that understands the unique challenges that your older loved ones face is important. Chronic pain certainly fits into this “unique” category, but it’s not the only challenge that seniors face. Dementia, cancer, disability, osteoporosis, diabetes, and more all require those that help an elderly individual take a specific set of circumstances into account. Whether it’s your loved one’s medical team or their caregiver, you want to ensure that the people you care about have the right set of supports in place.
That’s where a service like what we provide here at Paradise In-Home Care can be so helpful. In-home care caters to an individual’s unique needs in a way that other types of senior care can’t always do with ease. It meets someone where they are and revolves around them. Care is given in a one on one manner, so the person providing care doesn’t have as many distractions or people competing for their attention.
What’s more, it provides for a sense of companionship that other types of care can’t duplicate. For many, this is the primary benefit of in-home care; their loved ones no longer need to spend a lot of time alone and isolated anymore.
We’d love to talk more with you if you have questions about how in-home care might fit in with your family’s goals. Feel free to reach out and schedule a free consultation today.
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